1. Dried out by heat or excessive exposure to sunlight
   "the earth was scorched and bare";
   - adust [archaic], baked, parched, sunbaked
    
2. Having everything destroyed so nothing is left salvageable by an enemy
   "Sherman's scorched earth policy"

1. Become superficially burned
   "my eyebrows scorched when I bent over the flames";
   - sear, singe
    
2. (cooking) burn slightly and superficially so as to affect colour
   "the flames scorched the ceiling";
   - char, blacken, sear
    
3. Become scorched or singed under intense heat or dry conditions
   "The exposed tree scorched in the hot sun"
    
4. Destroy completely by or as if by fire
   "The wildfire scorched the forest and several homes"; "the invaders scorched the land"
    
5. Make very hot and dry
   "The heat scorched the countryside";
   - sear
    
6. [informal] Subject to harsh criticism
   "your invectives scorched the community";
   - blister, scald, whip [informal]

See also: destroyed, dry

Type of: assail, assault, attack, burn, burn down, combust, dry, dry out, fire, heat, heat up, lash out, round

Encyclopedia: Scorched